Process for making producer gas



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PROCESS FOR MAKING PRODUCER- GAS Filed Jan. 15, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1OPERA TIA/ FLOOR a, WWW

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PROCESS FOR MAKING PRODUCER GAS Filed Jan. 15, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2July 22, 1930. u, MCDONALD 1,771,133

PRQCESS FOR MAKING PRODUCER GAS Filed Jan. 15 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented July 22, 1930 JOHN U. MCDONALD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANAIPROCESS FOR MAKING PRODUCER GAS Application filed January 15, 1923.Serial No. 612,750.

broken column from the source of Supply to the producer.

Another object of my process 1s to supply the producer with air from thetop thereof at atmospheric temperature or preheated by hot gases leavingthe producer.

A further object is to take away the gases centrally of the producer.

A further object of my invention is to permit the use of oil mixed withother fuel for the purpose of enrichment and thereby make a richer andmore valuable and satisfactory gas than is being done in the presentproducer gas practice.

A further object of my process is to cause a total gasification of allcombustible constituents of the carbonaceous gas making fuel acted uponin one continuous operation without disturbing the reactions going on in;he producer by intermittent feeding of the uel.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the gasproducer;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the producer;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4. of Fig. 2.

The producer consists of a cylindrical shell 1 provided with suitablesupporting brackets 2 supported on beams 3, which rest on concrete piers(not shown). The inside of 49 the enerator is lined with fire andinsulating rick 4, the latter being suitably supported by a circularcast-iron lintel 5 placed at the lower end of the producer. Arrangedbeneath the producer is a water or ash receptacle 6 provided on thelower side" thereof with a clrcular grooved member 7 adapted to receiverollers 8 supported by the circular U-shaped member 9, which in turn issupported upon a suitable base 1 0. 56 This rotary ash receptacle isprovided at its lower edge with a gear 11 adapted to mesh with thegear-pinion 12, whereby the ash receptacle may be rotated. The lower endof the producer is received within this pan, the latter being filledwith water to effect a seal for the producer.

The ash receptacle 6 is cone-shaped centrally, the central portion 13thereof proj ecting upwardly to approximately the same height as theupper edge of the outer portion, and is provided with an opening 14adapted to receive the gas outlet pipe 15, the upper end of which isprovided with a cone-shaped head or cover 16 to prevent dirt and ashesfrom getting into the open upper end of the gas outlet pipe. The lowerend of the outlet pipe 15 is slightly enlarged in diameter as at 17. Thenumeral 18 indicates a pipe, the upper end of which is enlarged andprovided with an annular groove or receptacle 19, which is adapted toreceive the lower end 17 of the gas off-take pipe, the said receptaclebeing filled in order to perfect a water-tight and flexible joint toprevent any strain being placed upon the pipe by the irre lar movementof the rotatable ash receptacidl The lower end of the pipe 18 isreceived in the seal-pot 20, from which leads the gas outlet pipe 21,the latter leading to atubular heat-exchanger 22, the upper end of whichis in communication with an outlet pipe 23.

Arranged inthe top of the producer is a flanged bonnet 24, whichisadapted to reg ister with the upper end of the chamber within theproducer. Received in the upper end of this bonnet is a feed-pipe 25,the upper end of which is connected to a pipe 26 leading to thefeed-hopper 27. The inturned flange of the bonnet 24 which closes theannular space between the end of. the feed-pipe 25 and the end of thebonnet 24 is provided with a plurality of openings 28, which are adaptedto register with openings 29 in the rotatable disk or damper 30, wherebythe inlet of cold air may be controlled. Extending laterally from thebonnet 24 is a hot air inlet pipe 31, leadlng to the heatexchanger 22,by which means additional hot air may be injected into the producer, thesaid exchanger being provided at the lower loo end thereof with anair-inlet 32. Arranged centrally of the hopper 27 is an oil supply pipe33, the lower end thereof extending well down into the feed-pipe 26.Immediately below the hopper 27 is a gate 34, by which the fuel beingfed to the producer may be controlled. Extending laterally from thebonnet 24 is a steam inlet pipe 35.

In operation, the producer is kept constantly full of fuel, and also acolumn extending to any desired height above the same. Therefore thefeeding of the fuel into the producer is absolutely constant, whichmeans that the reactions taking place within the producer are neverdisturbed. The fuel is fed into the upper column from the hopper 27, butgradually works down through the producer as the ashes are taken frombelow.

The air for combustion is taken in at the top bf the producer throughthe hot air inlet pipe 31, or the cold air ports 28, the combustion offuel commencing at this point. The gases being generated are drawndownwardly through the hot bed of fuel, and also through the ashes atthe bottom, constituting a breaking up and purifying of all thecombustible constitutents of the fuel acted upon. The fuel workingdownwardly in a constant manner as described, prevents blow-holes fromoccurring in the fuel-bed, thereby eliminating the necessity of amechanical stirring device.

The gases are taken off through the gas outlet pipe 15 from the centerof the producer, from thence to the seal-pot 20, to the heat exchanger22, thence through the pipe 23, to a storage tank. If it is desirable,fuel oil may be fed into the generator and mixed with the coal if aricher gas is desired than is now possible to obtain with the presentproducer gas process.

It will thus been seen that the excess heat available over and abovethat which is required to maintain the proper temperature for thegasification of a ton of coal, approximately three thousand pounds ofoil, can be converted into a fixed and permanent gas. The gas obtainedfrom this amount of oil, combined with the gas from the coal, wouldamount to approximately two hundred and forty thousand cubic feet of gasof three hundred B. t. u. per cubic foot, which would be verysatisfactory for industrial purposes.

It will thus be seen that the fuel is in an unbroken column, that theair is taken in at the top in a very steady and uniform manner, meansbeing provided for taking air in either at atmospheric temperature orpreheated by the hot gases leaving the producer. The gases are takenaway from the producer centrally thereof near the bottom, consequentlythe gas is not drawn off to one side of the producer, which naturallynarrows the path of exit, or any suitable mechanical means for the workrequired to properly execute the process.

By drawing the gas down through a bed of incandescent carbon the tarryconstituents of the fuel are broken up into fixed and permanent gases,after which the total combined gases pass through a bed of ashes and arepurified to an appreciable degree before leaving the producer throughthe outlet pipe.

I claim:

1. A process for making producer gas including feeding fuel in acontinuous unbroken gravity controlled column down through the top of agas producer, admitting a supply of air to the top of said producer atpoints circumferentially of said fuel col -1 at the entrance thereofinto said producer, withdrawing the liberated gas through a centrallylocated off-take pipe substantially at the bottom of said producer, androtating the offtake pipe for agitating the lower portion of the fuelbed in the producer.

2. A process for making producer gas including feeding fuel in acontinuous unbroken gravity controlled column down through the top of agas producer, admitting air to the top of said generator at a pluralityof points about the periphery ofsaid fuel column and at the point wheresaid fuel column enters said producer; withdrawing the liberated gasthrough a centrally located off-take pipe substantially at the bottom ofsaid producer, sealing the bottom of said producer by enclosing saidbottom in water contained in an ash and water receptacle, supporting theofftake pipe upon said ash and water receptacle, and rotating saidreceptacle and off-take pipe for agitating the lower portion of thefuelbed in the producer.

3. A process for making producer gas in a down draft producer-includingfeeding fuel in a continuous unbroken gravity controlled column downthrough the top of the gas producer and from the top to the bottomthereof, admitting air to the top of said producer peripherally of thefuel column and at the point where the fuel column enters the producer,withdrawing the liberated gas through a centrally located off-take pipesubstantially at the bottom of said producer, agitating the bottom ofthe fuel bed with said off-take pipe, sealing the bottom of saidproducer by enclosing said bottom in water contained in an ash and waterreceptacle, rotating said receptacle and off-take pipe for agitating thelower portion of the fuel bed in the producer, passing the gas from theoff-take pipe through a seal pot, and sealing the communication of saidoff-take pipe with the seal pot.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN U. MCDONALD.

